Apparatus for sorting by length up-set headed pieces such as nails and the like

ABSTRACT

Apparatus involves a downwardly inclined elongated member having a center slot extending longitudinally along its length and a plurality of transverse slots spaced along its length. The inclined elongated member is supported by a pair of spaced upright supporting members and at its upper end is connected with a vibratory feeder which feeds workpieces, each having a head and a shank, to the inclined member with the head of each piece sliding along the upper surface of the inclined member and the shank riding in the longitudinal slot. Trip dogs are provided one upstream from each of said transverse slots which are disposed at progressively lesser distances from the bottom of the inclined member starting at the upper end thereof. The trip dogs trip pieces having a shank length greater than the distance from the bottom surface of the inclined member to the trip dog to tilt the workpiece. The transverse slots are dimensioned to receive and cause to drop through the inclined member workpieces engaged with their heads in tilted position.

United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,729fi95 Carr et al. I i 1 Apr. 24, 1973 APPARATUS FOR SORTING BY Primary Examiner-Allen N. Knowles LENGTH UP-SET HEADER) PIECES SUCH AS NAILS AND THE LIKE Inventors: Earl L. Carr; James E. Foster, both of Antioch, Calif.

Assignee: United States Steel Corporation,

Pittsburgh, Pa.

Filed: Dec. 28, 1971 Appl. No.-: 213,059

Charchalis ..2()9/85 AtmmeyDonald S. Ferito [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus involves a downwardly inclined elongated member having a center slot extending longitudinally along its length and a plurality of transverse slots spaced along its length. The inclined elongated member is supported by a pair of spaced upright supporting members and at its upper end is connected with a vibratory feeder which feeds workpieces, each having a head and a shank, to the inclined meinber with the head of each piece sliding along the upper surface of the inclined member and the shank riding in the longitudinal slot. Trip dogs are provided one upstream from each of said transverse slots which are disposed at progressively lesser distances from the bottom of the inclined member starting at the upper end thereof. The trip dogs trip pieces having a shank length greater than the distance from the bottom surface of the inclined member to the trip dog to tilt the workpiece. The transverse slots are dimensioned to receive and cause to drop through the inclined member workpieces engaged with their heads in tilted position.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR SORTING BY LENGTH UP-SET HEADED PIECES SUCH AS NAILS AND THE LIKE The present invention relates generally to apparatus for classifying material and more particularly to apparatus for sorting workpieces having a head and a shank such as up-set headed nails or other pieces.

Prior to our invention, mixed nails of varying length were sorted by hand or were scrapped. This was at best a costly and time consuming operation.

It is, accordingly, the primary object of our invention to provide a mechanical sorter for nails and other articles having a head and a shank to sort the articles according to length.

It is a more specialized object of our invention to provide an apparatus as set forth by the above-stated object which includes a supported downwardly inclined member having a center slot extending longitudinally along its length and connected at its upper end with a feeder for feeding nails thereto with the head of the nails sliding along the upper surface of the inclined member and the shanks thereof passing along the longitudinal slot; a plurality of transverse slots spaced along the length of the inclined member; the transverse slots being dimensioned to receive and'allow to drop from the inclined member a nail received with its head in a tilted position; trip dogs spaced along the inclined member extending transversely spaced from the bottom thereof one upstream of each of the transverse slots; the trip dogs being spaced a progressively lesser distance from the bottom of the inclined member starting at the upper end thereof; and means for adjusting the width of the longitudinal slot to accommodate shanks of varying thicknesses.

These and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is aplan view;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the inclined member ofthe invention;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line VV of FIG. 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, reference numeral 2 designates an elongated downwardly inclined member supported by two upright support frames 4 one adjacent each end thereof. The upper end of the inclined member is connected with a vibratory feeder 6 which separates, aligns, and delivers nails 8 seriatim to the inclined member so that the heads of the nails ride along the upper surface of the inclined member and the shanks thereof pass along a center slot 10 extending longitudinally along the inclined member 2.

The inclined member 2 consists of two inverted L- shape bars 12 and 14, as best shown in FIG. 5, connected to each otherby means of two or more pairs of upright plates 16 each pair being provided with inwardly directed opposed studs 18 on each plate. Each of the pairs of studs 18 is threaded oppositely from the other stud. An adjusting sleeve nut 20 threaded on each pair of studs with a jam nut 22'provides means for adjusting the width of the longitudinal slot 10 to accommodate nail shanks of various thicknesses.

Each inverted L-shaped member is formed with matching slots 24 in the horizontal legs thereof spaced along its length. The slots 24 are dimensioned to receive and allow to pass through the inclined member nails which are tilted when their heads approach the transverse slots. If the nails are in upright position their heads will pass over the transverse slots and continue to advance along the inclined member 2.

A rotatably and vertically adjustable trip dog 26 is provided upstream of each of the transverse slots 24. Rotary adjustment of each trip dog 26 is provided by means of a threaded stud 28 affixed to and projecting normal from the vertical leg of the bar 12, a bar nut 30 threaded by one end on the stud 28 and a lock nut 32. The trip dog 26 is an L-shape rod disposed with one leg 26 extending transversely under the inclined member 2 and itsother leg 26" received in a transverse hole 34 adjacent the end of the bar nut remote from the end thereof threaded on the stud 28. The leg 26" is locked in position in the bar nut by means ofa thumb screw 36 threaded into the end of the bar nut remote from the stud 28. Vertical adjustment of the trip dog 26 is accomplished by loosening the thumb screw and sliding leg 26" of the trip dog upward or downward through hole 34 in the bar nut.

A conventional vibrator 38 may be attached to the inclined member 2 for imparting vibratory movement thereto to provide the agitation necessary to prevent the tilted heads of nails from sticking in the transverse slots 24.

In operation, a batch of nails of mixed lengthsvare dumped in the hopper of the vibratory feeder 6, which may be of the type manufactured by Syntron Company, Homer City, Pennsylvania and designated Model F-60985. In the feeder the nails are separated, aligned and delivered one at a time to the inclined member 2. Upon delivery the shank of the nail is received in the longitudinal slot 10 and assumes a substantially vertical position and is supported in the vertical position by the head of the nail resting on the top surface of the inclined member. As the nail travels along the inclined member, it approaches one or more trip dogs 26. The trip dogs are positioned with their legs 26' at varying predetermined fixed distances from the top surface of the inclined member 2 with the trip dog nearest the upper end of the inclined member set at the longest distance and with all other trip dogs set at progressively shorter distances. As the nail encounters a trip dog that is set at a shorter distance from the top of the inclined member than the shank length of the nail, the trip dog will engage the lower part of the shank and cause the nail to tilt as the head of the nail continues to travel along the top of the inclined member. When the top of the tilted nail reaches a transverse slot 24, the head of the nailwill fall through a slot 24 and the nail will drop onto a chute 40 for conveyance to a container 42 disposed at the bottom of the chute. Nails with a shank length too short to engage a trip dog will continue to travel to the end of the inclined member 2 and drop into a container 44.

While we have shown but one embodiment of our invention, other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for sorting up-set headed pieces by length comprising an elongated downwardly inclined surface having a center slot extending along its length, means connected with the upper end of said surface for feeding up-set headed pieces seriatim to said inclined surface with the heads of said pieces slidably disposed on said surface and the shanks thereof depending through said slot, transverse slots extending normal to the longitudinal center line of said first-named slot on each side thereof spaced along the length of said inclined surface, said transverse slots being dimensioned to receive a tilted head of a piece therethrough but not receive a head of a piece passing thereover in upright position, a plurality of adjustable trip dogs extending transversely under said inclined surface spaced therealong one upstream from each of said transverse slots, said trip dogs being spaced at progressively shorter distances from said inclined surface thereby to trip up-set headed pieces having shanks of progressively shorter length to cause tilting of the heads thereof and their passage through one of said transverse slots; and a container disposed under each of said transverse slots.

2. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 including vibratory means connected with said inclined surface for vibrating the same to induce passage of said up-set headed pieces along said inclined surface.

3. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 in which said inclined surface is formed by a pair of opposed elongated inverted L-shape members in opposed spaced relation forming said longitudinal slot between the ends of the short legs thereof, an upright support frame supporting said inclined surface disposed at least adjacent each end thereof, means spaced along said inclined surface for adjusting the width of said longitudinal slot, said last-named means including a pair of opposed upright plate members attached one to the outer surface of each of the long legs of said L-shape members, the upper portions of said opposed plate members being substantially parallel and projecting above said inclined surface, a threaded stud projecting inwardly from the inner face of each of said opposed plate members, each of said studs being oppositely threaded, an adjusting sleeve nut threaded on said studs, and a jamb nut threaded on one of said studs adjacent the adjusting nut whereby the width of said longitudinal slot is adjusted by threading said jamb nut away from said adjusting nut, turning said adjusting nut, and then threading said jamb nut to abut said adjusting nut.

4. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 in which each of said trip dogs is rotatably adjustable about a point projecting from one side of said inclined surface and substantially vertically adjustable toward and from the inclined surface.

5. Apparatus as defined by claim 4 in which each of said trip dogs includes a threaded stud projecting from the side of said inclined surface, a threaded bar nut threaded by one end on said stud, a lock nut threaded on said stud between said inclined surface and the end of said bar nut threaded on said stud; said bar nut having a transverse hole therethrough spaced from its end threaded on said stud, a substantially L-shape rod disposed with one leg adjustably received in said transverse hole and its other leg extending transversely under said inclined surface, and a thumb scre w threaded into the end of said bar nut remote from sald stud engaging said one leg of said L-shape rod to retain the same in adjusted position in said bar nut.

6. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 in which said means for feeding up-set headed pieces to said inclined surface is a vibratory feeder. 

1. Apparatus for sorting up-set headed pieces by length comprising an elongated downwardly inclined surface having a center slot extending along its length, means connected with the upper end of said surface for feeding up-set headed pieces seriatim to said inclined surface with the heads of said pieces slidably disposed on said surface and the shanks thereof depending through said slot, transverse slots extending normal to the longitudinal center line of said first-named slot on each side thereof spaced along the length of said inclined surface, said transverse slots being dimensioned to receive a tilted head of a piece therethrough but not receive a head of a piece passing thereover in upright position, a plurality of adjustable trip dogs extending transversely under said inclined surface spaced therealong one upstream from each of said transverse slots, said trip dogs being spaced at progressively shorter distances from said inclined surface thereby to trip up-set headed pieces having shanks of progressively shorter length to cause tilting of the heads thereof and their passage through one of said transverse slots; and a container disposed under each of said transverse slots.
 2. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 including vibratory means connected with said inclined surface for vibrating the same to induce passage of said up-set headed pieces along said inclined surface.
 3. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 in which said inclined surface is formed by a pair of opposed elongated inverted L-shape members in opposed spaced relation forming said longitudinal slot between the ends of the short legs thereof, an upright support frame supporting said inclined surface disposed at least adjacent each end thereof, means spaced along said inclined surface for adjusting the width of said longitudinal slot, said last-named means including a pair of opposed upright plate members attached one to the outer surface of each of the long legs of said L-shape members, the upper portions of said opposed plate members being substantially parallel and projecting above said inclined surface, a threaded stud projecting inwardly from the inner face of each of said opposed plate members, each of said studs being oppositely threaded, an adjusting sleeve nut threaded on said studs, and a jamb nut threaded on one of said studs adjacent the adjusting nut whereby the width of said longitudinal slot is adjusted by threading said jamb nut away from said adjusting nut, turning said adjusting nut, and then threading said jamb nut to abut said adjusting nut.
 4. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 in which each of said trip dogs is rotatably adjustable about a point projecting from one side of said inclined surface and substantially vertically adjustable toward and from the inclined surface.
 5. Apparatus as defined by claim 4 in which each of said trip dogs includes a threaded stud projecting from the side of said inclined surface, a threaded bar nut threaded by one end on said stud, a lock nut threaded on said stud between said inclined surface and the end of said bar nut threaded on said stud; said bar nut having a transverse hole therethrough spaced from its end threaded on said stud, a substantially L-shape rod disposed with one leg adjustably received in said transverse hole and its other leg extending transversely under said inclined surface, and a thumb screw threaded into the end of said bar nut remote from said stud engaging said one leg of said L-shape rod to retain the same in adjusted position in said bar nut.
 6. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 in which said means for feeding up-set headed pieces to said inclined surface is a vibratory feeder. 